Heretofore, there have been known thermionic converters such as shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,519,854 and 3,328,611 which disclose apparatus and methods for the direct conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,854 there is described a converter using a Hall effect technique as the output current collection means. The teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,854 is of interest in that it uses as its source of electrons a stream boiled off of an emissive cathode surface and accelerated towards an anode positioned beyond the Hall effect transducer. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,611, a spherically configured thermionic converter is disclosed wherein a spherical, emissive cathode is supplied with heat (from several alternate sources including a self-contained fuel combustion section) thereby emitting electrons to a concentrically positioned, spherical anode under the influence of a control member having a high positive potential thereon.
While the above two illustrative examples of prior art thermionic converters teach apparatus for accomplishing the desired direct conversions, and while a good deal of additional inventive effort has been directed to the practical and theoretical problems associated with such conversion means, it is clear that there continues to be a need for improved devices and methods for direct thermal/electric converters.
The Thermionic Electric Converter of my application Ser. No. 033,025 implements a technique for the direct conversion of heat energy to electrical energy by using a stream of electrons thermally released from an electron emissive cathode, and accelerated by a static electric field to transit through the center of a pick-up coil immersed in a strong magnetic field, thereby producing an induced EMF. The heat energy may be derived from any source whatever, and the induced EMF is directly used to power electrical loads.